"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." - Matthew 5:4
As I read the prayer of Paul for the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 1:15-23, I sit astonished at how far I am from experiencing the fulfillment of Paul's prayer. I mourn over the fact that the church has not only fallen short of God's glory, but how far we are from the will of God in this area. Paul laments in Romans, "Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Rom. 7:24) The church is the Body of Christ, and Jesus is the Head. This Body which is intended to be marked by life is little more than a comatose man with spasms. How far we are from fulfilling God's will in His Body with the life He has graciously provided!
We must be brought to mourning for our condition before comfort will be provided. We must repent before we are forgiven. We must confess our blindness before our eyes will be opened. Jesus had just given sight to to a blind man by spitting on the ground, putting the clay upon his eyes, and commanding Him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man went, washed, and came back seeing. The man worshiped Jesus, believing in Him. The Pharisees, however, did not believe in Jesus. They looked to their own righteousness for their salvation. They searched the scriptures daily, believing that in them they could find eternal life. Yet the Eternal Word stood before them, God who became flesh, and they denied His deity despite the signs and wonders He performed. They asked Jesus, "Are we blind also?" Jesus replied in John 9:41: "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains." The one who was once blind came away seeing physically and spiritually, but the Pharisees remained blind.
How my heart aches for the condition of the Body! We are like the church of Laodicea, of whom Christ said, "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- [18] I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Rev. 3:17-18). We are like Judah of whom the prophet lamented in Isaiah 1:4-6: "Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. [5] Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. [6] From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment." Are not the words of Christ relevant which He spoke in Matthew 15:7-8: "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: [8] 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me."
When we consider the power of Christ displayed upon earth and the lack of power evident in the church today, should we not mourn? Who is there who will weep over the sins of God's people as Daniel, who stood in the gap interceding? Should we not cry out to Jesus as Peter, "Depart from us, for we are sinful men, O Lord!" As Jesus was led to Calvary He said to those who wept that they should not weep for Him, but for themselves and their children. Luke 23:31 says, "For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?" Jesus had just been betrayed, forsaken, and denied by those who gave their allegiance to Him. The wood is certainly dry, and we are no better than our fathers! God help us! It is no wonder that Jesus is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. What brings more grief to a father than a child who only brings dishonor and shame?
Those who have ears to hear, let them hear! The stately, majestic, wonderful Head who is Christ rests upon a body stricken with untreated wounds. We are dehydrated, our muscles are atrophied, we lie senseless in our own waste and vomit! Is this not our condition compared to that of Christ? How long, o Lord? How long will you allow your holy and righteous name to be blasphemed through the disobedience of your faithless people? God has truly done all things well, but there are none who do good, no not one. We are a people of unclean lips that dwell among a people of unclean lips! We are no different from Samson, a man filled with the Holy Spirit and consecrated for His service who chose to be lulled to sleep upon the knees of Delilah!
We are too quick to offer comfort in this present hour. God does offer comfort, but to those who will mourn. The valley of the shadow of death precedes dwelling in the house of the LORD forever. The cross goes before eternal glory. We must confess our blindness before God will open our eyes. God will give to those who first ask. We must mourn before God will comfort. He has provided the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will help, guide, and teach us all things. Cleansing from sin precedes this holy baptism. It would be better that we refuse to be comforted than to accept a cheap emotional substitute for the work of the Spirit. Jeremiah 31:15 says, "Thus says the Lord: "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more." Jesus wept over the lost sheep of Israel: should we not weep for our sins?
I woke up this morning moved once again by Jeremiah 9:1: "Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" How this verse perfectly explains the longings of my heart, only to be betrayed by my dry eyes! I thank God for His exceedingly great and precious promises. Those who come to Him in humble faith He will not cast out (John 6:37). How blessed are those who mourn, for it is they who will receive true comfort. Praise God for Philip. 4:6-7 which states, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; [7] and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
We must be brought to mourning for our condition before comfort will be provided. We must repent before we are forgiven. We must confess our blindness before our eyes will be opened. Jesus had just given sight to to a blind man by spitting on the ground, putting the clay upon his eyes, and commanding Him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man went, washed, and came back seeing. The man worshiped Jesus, believing in Him. The Pharisees, however, did not believe in Jesus. They looked to their own righteousness for their salvation. They searched the scriptures daily, believing that in them they could find eternal life. Yet the Eternal Word stood before them, God who became flesh, and they denied His deity despite the signs and wonders He performed. They asked Jesus, "Are we blind also?" Jesus replied in John 9:41: "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains." The one who was once blind came away seeing physically and spiritually, but the Pharisees remained blind.
How my heart aches for the condition of the Body! We are like the church of Laodicea, of whom Christ said, "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- [18] I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Rev. 3:17-18). We are like Judah of whom the prophet lamented in Isaiah 1:4-6: "Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. [5] Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. [6] From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment." Are not the words of Christ relevant which He spoke in Matthew 15:7-8: "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: [8] 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me."
When we consider the power of Christ displayed upon earth and the lack of power evident in the church today, should we not mourn? Who is there who will weep over the sins of God's people as Daniel, who stood in the gap interceding? Should we not cry out to Jesus as Peter, "Depart from us, for we are sinful men, O Lord!" As Jesus was led to Calvary He said to those who wept that they should not weep for Him, but for themselves and their children. Luke 23:31 says, "For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?" Jesus had just been betrayed, forsaken, and denied by those who gave their allegiance to Him. The wood is certainly dry, and we are no better than our fathers! God help us! It is no wonder that Jesus is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. What brings more grief to a father than a child who only brings dishonor and shame?
Those who have ears to hear, let them hear! The stately, majestic, wonderful Head who is Christ rests upon a body stricken with untreated wounds. We are dehydrated, our muscles are atrophied, we lie senseless in our own waste and vomit! Is this not our condition compared to that of Christ? How long, o Lord? How long will you allow your holy and righteous name to be blasphemed through the disobedience of your faithless people? God has truly done all things well, but there are none who do good, no not one. We are a people of unclean lips that dwell among a people of unclean lips! We are no different from Samson, a man filled with the Holy Spirit and consecrated for His service who chose to be lulled to sleep upon the knees of Delilah!
We are too quick to offer comfort in this present hour. God does offer comfort, but to those who will mourn. The valley of the shadow of death precedes dwelling in the house of the LORD forever. The cross goes before eternal glory. We must confess our blindness before God will open our eyes. God will give to those who first ask. We must mourn before God will comfort. He has provided the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will help, guide, and teach us all things. Cleansing from sin precedes this holy baptism. It would be better that we refuse to be comforted than to accept a cheap emotional substitute for the work of the Spirit. Jeremiah 31:15 says, "Thus says the Lord: "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more." Jesus wept over the lost sheep of Israel: should we not weep for our sins?
I woke up this morning moved once again by Jeremiah 9:1: "Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" How this verse perfectly explains the longings of my heart, only to be betrayed by my dry eyes! I thank God for His exceedingly great and precious promises. Those who come to Him in humble faith He will not cast out (John 6:37). How blessed are those who mourn, for it is they who will receive true comfort. Praise God for Philip. 4:6-7 which states, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; [7] and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
How long indeed...but praise be to God that He allows this time in His mercy for those who might seek Him.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about that Jeremiah passage you mentioned. His prayer to mourn for the people was answered in Lamentations, hmm? If only it did not take the destruction of Jerusalem for the people to draw near God with their hearts.